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The Right Word

The poem explores the speaker's initial fear of a person lurking outside their door and the various labels used to describe this person. Through questioning themselves, the speaker realizes it is just a child, reminding the reader that we should not judge by appearances. The poem suggests language can influence perception and prejudice should be overcome with understanding.

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391 views

The Right Word

The poem explores the speaker's initial fear of a person lurking outside their door and the various labels used to describe this person. Through questioning themselves, the speaker realizes it is just a child, reminding the reader that we should not judge by appearances. The poem suggests language can influence perception and prejudice should be overcome with understanding.

Uploaded by

nomvulapetunia460
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Poetry Across Time

Conflict

Introduce
The Right Word
By Imtiaz Dharker

Establish
A sense of perspective...
History will be
kind to me for I
intend to write it!

Establish
Terrorist?

Freedom Fighter?

Nelson Mandela is one of the world's most revered statesmen, who


led the struggle to replace the apartheid regime of South Africa
with a multi-racial democracy.

In 1961, Mandela became leader of the armed wing of the African


National Congress (ANC). He launched a campaign of economic
sabotage against the military and government, making plans for a
possible guerilla war if the sabotage failed. He was arrested and
jailed for 27 years for attempting to violently overthrow the
government.

Establish/Discuss
Terrorist? Freedom Fighter?

Che Guevara was a major figure in the Cuban revolution and a


Marxist revolutionary. Trained as a doctor, he was critical of the
expanding economic influence of America and capitalism. He
radicalised, convinced that the only way to bring about change was
by violent revolution, and wrote a manual on guerilla warfare.

He was shot in a schoolhouse in La Higuera on October 9, 1967 on


the order of the Bolivian President and his image is now a popular
icon representing youthful rebellion. Times Magazine named him
one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Establish/Discuss
Defining 'Terrorism'...

1. Does it matter if the victims are soldiers


or civilians?
2. Does it matter if the act takes place on
military or public areas?
3. Does it matter if it takes place during war or peacetime?
4. Does it matter if the act is performed for a good cause?
5. How do you define a good cause?
6. Does it matter if those responsible for the attacks are
oppressed and are prevented from enjoying their basic
human rights?
7. Can governments perform acts of terror or only non-
government groups?
8. Does the threat of attack qualify as 'terrorism' or must
the attack actually take place?
9. What are the differences between acts of war and acts of
terrorism?

Skill: Establish definition


The Right Word
By Imtiaz Dharker

Imtiaz Dharker calls herself a Scottish Muslim Calvinist,


but dislikes such limiting definitions. Recurring themes in
her poetry include cultural identity, freedom, displacement,
communal conflict, gender politics and freedom. Critics
suggest that her poems "unveil the delicate skin of love,
trust and sudden recognition" and that they "offer hope in
the face of violence". She makes use of the first person in
many of her poems; however, her poems are often about
speaking up rather than herself.

"I work with film, and I know that I can take one image
and edit it ten different ways, write ten different sets of
words, and make it into ten different stories. That's one
of the things that I'm trying to do in the poem 'The Right
Word'.

There is just one image, but it's an image that is


interpreted in different ways depending on the
preconceptions that fit into each verse."

Poet's Background and ideas


Exploring the Text
Think about the connotations of each word.
What happens as the poem progresses?

Nouns Verbs

terrorist lurking

Skill: Connotations of Noun/verb choice


The Right Word

Outside the door,


lurking in the shadows,
is a terrorist.

Is that the wrong description?


Outside that door,
taking shelter in the shadows,
is a freedom-fighter.

I haven’t got this right.


Outside, waiting in the shadows,
is a hostile militant.

Are words no more


than waving, wavering flags?
Outside your door,
watchful in the shadows,
is a guerrilla warrior.

God help me.


Outside, defying every shadow,
stands a martyr.
I saw his face.

No words can help me now.


Just outside the door,
lost in shadows,
is a child who looks like mine.

One word for you.


Outside my door,
his hand too steady,
his eyes too hard
is a boy who looks like your son, too.

I open the door.


Come in, I say.
Come in and eat with us.

The child steps in


and carefully, at my door,
takes off his shoes.

Imtiaz Dharker.

Poem
What does this The Right Word

word suggest?
Outside the door, This noun makes the
lurking in the shadows, 1st stanza seem threatening
is a terrorist.
The speaker
Is that the wrong description? questions
Suggests Outside that door, themselves
vulnerability taking shelter in the shadows, showing...?
is a freedom-fighter.

Is there a right I haven’t got this right. Suggests threat


or wrong answer? Outside, waiting in the shadows,
is a hostile militant.
Repetition of the word
Are words no more 'outside' reminds us that...
than waving, wavering flags?
Outside your door, An attempt to
watchful in the shadows, communicate?
Another is a guerrilla warrior.
threatening
God help me.
term
Outside, defying every shadow,
stands a martyr. Frightening idea of
I saw his face. someone willing to die
and kill for their
No words can help me now.
religious.
Speaker is feeling Just outside the door,
helpless and lost in shadows, Realising that the
is a child who looks like mine. person is a child =
threatened
less threatening
One word for you.
Outside my door, Tone changes
his hand too steady, showing...?
Taking down mental his eyes too hard
barriers caused by is a boy who looks like your son, too.
Reminds the
language. reader of?
I open the door.
Repetition used Come in, I say.
Emphasises { Come in and eat with us.
What does this
what?
The child steps in suggest?
and carefully, at my door,
Is this the takes off his shoes. } What is significant
right word? about these last 2 lines?

Focus Qs
Exploring the text:
Heart of poem

1 * Find the first word of the middle stanza.


* How does this word link to the ideas
before/after and what the poet feels/does?

Use of questions
* What questions are asked?
* Why?

Placement
* Track the references to inside/outside
* What do you notice?

Task: Exploring the text


his hand too steady,

his eyes too hard

is a boy who looks like your son, too.


Endings:

The child steps in

and carefully, at my door,

takes off his shoes

Reflection...
* Why does the poet introduce
the child?
* What is the significance of
the doorstep?
Explain your ideas.

Skill: Reading for Meaning


Look at the images below:

Can you find the quotation/idea


that they refer to?
Question Time!

1. Why is the speaker scared of the


person outside their door?
2. What does the speaker originally
think is at their door?
3. What is significant about the title?
What does the poet suggest about language?
4. When does the tone change in the poem and why?
5. Did the speaker eventually find the right word?

Quick Questions
Agree or Disagree?

1. The poet suggests that the only


way to put a stop to fear and
violence is to treat people with love
and friendship.
2. The poem shows that conflict and violence are based
on fear and prejudice.
3. The poem suggests that faith in God can lead us towards
peace.
4. An important message that the poem gives us is that when
we respect our enemies they will treat us with respect too.
5. A key idea in the poem is that the word we use to label a
person can blind us to the truth about them.

Agree/Disagree
Links:

Article about the poet:


http://india.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/
cms_module/index.php?obj_id=2720

The poet's website:


http://www.imtiazdharker.com/

Poet reads the poem:


http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/
singlePoem.do?poemId=14258

Poet talks about being labelled a 'spiritual writer':


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p0062ygx/
Heart_And_Soul_Spiritual_Journeys_Episode_3

Article about the definition of terrorism:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/may/07/
terrorism

Article about resistance movements:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_movement

Guardian advert about points of view:


http://adland.tv/commercials/guardian-points-
view-1986-030-uk

Links and References

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